The Raman spectrum can provide information about molecule vibration and hence be views as a specific signature of a substance. Raman spectroscopy is useful in sample identification and quantization and can be used in fields such as food safety, environmental monitoring, jewelry identification, drug detection, and production process control.
In addition to the Raman spectrum, the fluorescence spectrum from a sample can also be a sensitive indicator of the presence of certain chemicals. Fluorescence spectroscopy can be used in trace detection of heavy metals in water, bacteria detection, and DNA analysis along with other applications.